Soon the Monmouth Mall will be completely redone, outfitted with several high-scale amenities. Kushner Cos., in collaboration with Rouse Properties, aim to completely revamp the popular shopping center. Renamed the Heights at Monmouth, the roughly $500 million project will feature a walkable streetscape, more dining and entertainment venues, and apartments. “This is where malls are heading, and we need to transform it for the next generation,” said Kushner President Laurent Morali. The hope is that the open-air format will be more appealing to modern-day consumers who can easily shop online now and have little incentive to traverse malls.

Kushner began his plans in 2015 and the Eatontown borough council approved zoning changes to the site. These include up to 700 residential units and medical offices. Indoor and outdoor dining options will also be available and entertainment arenas such as a multipurpose plaza for performances, indoor sports facilities and a bowling alley are sure to delight. “Our town relies on the Monmouth Mall to survive, and we have for years,” Mayor Dennis J. Connelly said. “We need it to be successful today and in the future.” Mr. Morali added, “We need to make the mall evolve to the next iteration. Then we will be able to truly benefit from the existing community and its demographics and shopping power.” The redeveloped property is expected to open in 2020.

In Loving Memory of
Miriam Bat Bracha, A”H

Moms On A Mitzvah is a team comprised of multifaceted women handling unique hesedwork. Miriam Chammah, A”H, was a dedicated, powerhouse of a team member. Through her involvement in various hesedprojects she forged a strong and solid relationship with many of her teammates; a relationship that was more like that of sisters than friends. Mimi’s four-month coma and untimely passing has left a huge void in all of our hearts.

The Moms On A Mitzvah organization is currently working on a few projects that will reflect Mimi’s personality and some of her many passions. We would like to launch Morah Miriam’s Magical Playground, which will be created at Little Blossom, a place close to Mimi’s heart. This is where Mimi’s fun, affectionate, and playful personality shone the most. For many years, Mimi dedicated herself to Little Blossom establishing strong bonds and gaining the love and affection of faculty, parents and students.

Also in the works is Mimi’s World of Imagination, which will be an enhancement of the current library at Orot Sarah, the school that Mimi’s daughters currently attend.

The Momsteam has clearly presented and reviewed these projects with the Chammah and Bensoussan families and they have given their endorsement wholeheartedly.

These meaningful projects, amongst others, need your support in order to come to fruition. Kindly contact Linda Sadacka 347-623-4718, Fortune Mizrachi 347-831-0554, or Shelly Hadriye 347-267-6956 for more information.

The 2017 J-Biz Expo and Business Conference

The world’s largest Jewish community B2B event is just two weeks away! It will be held on Thursday, June 15th at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, New Jersey. Those in attendance will personally meet the movers and shakers ofthe business world. Grassroots business owners and entrepreneurs will connect with hundreds of innovative exhibitors.

Various high-level corporations and individuals have already confirmed their participation at this year’s event, which will be broadcast live on Breitbart News and other major media outlets.

Business, communal, and even diplomatic, leaders in the U.S., Israel, and beyond are actively involved in the planning and outreach for this year’s expo, ensuring broader and more promising participation than ever before. Talks are underway with some of the most successful and captivating personalities in the world to present at the J-Biz Business Conference, which takes place in the morning, before the main B2B floor opens.

Reserving floor space is easier than ever before. Simply select your preferred location online via The J-Biz website. If you desire to exhibit at the Expo but cannot personally be at the booth, allow J-Biz to prepare and staff your booth with the professionalism and dedication you would expect from your own team.

April 14, 4:00 PM– One perpetrator arrested for package theft in the area of East 24 Avenues S-U.

April 23, 4:30 AM–One perpetrator arrested for multiple car break-ins in the area of East 10 avenues L-M.

April 24, 4:00 AM– At the home of 1925 East 1st – members responded to the sighting of an EDP (emotionally disturbed person) in the backyard. 911 was activated and the subject was transported by EMS.

April 27, 9:30 AM– FSSP units assisted with crowd control at a funeral held at Magen David Congregation.

April 28, 3:30 AM– Two perpetrators arrested, one male and one female, for multiple car break-ins in the area of East 24 Avenues L-M.

May 11, 11:00 AM– A package thief who has been “shopping” all over our community has been identified through video footage retrieved by our TARU (technical assistance response unit). The footage was forwarded to all three local precincts and an arrest was imminent.

May 11, 5:00 PM – Another recidivist perpetrator who was plaguing our neighborhoods by both stealing packages and breaking into cars was arrested as a result of the dedication of FSSP units.

May 14, 2:30 PM – One female perpetrator arrested for stealing a package from a UPS drop off box on Ave J and East 31st street.

An Important Message from Flatbush Shomrim:

With summer vacation rapidly approaching, we urge you to take the following steps to avoid becoming a victim of burglary:

Leave lights on a timer throughout the house.

Have a neighbor collect all mail, papers, and flyers from your front and side doors.

Have a neighbor put one of his garbage cans in front of your house on pickup day.

Have a neighbor park a car in your driveway.

Make sure your curtains/drapes are down.

Leave an A/C on, even if only on the fan setting.

Reminder!

On June 11, the Flatbush Shomrim will have their bike registration/carnival. (See the ad featured in this issue for more information). It’s important to register your bikes so that in the event they are stolen from you, there will be a greater chance of them being recovered.

Chazaq Event Inspires Overflowing Crowd in Queens

On Monday evening, May 8th, at the Fifth Annual Chazaq Big Event an estimated 2,000 people streamed into the Elite Palace in Woodside for an inspirational evening.

The evening opened with tehillimrecited by Rav Ahron Walkin, Shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Nosson Meir, and KabbalatOhl Malchut Shomayimby Rav Yitzchak Yisraeli, the newly elected Chief Rabbi of the Bukharian Rabbanut in the USA and Canada.

Chazaq Director Rabbi Ilan Meirov then spoke of Chazaq’s “No Child Left Behind” initiative, where Chazaq seeks to provide a Jewish education to the thousands of Jewish public school students in the Queens community. Rabbi Meirov shared that since the beginning of the initiative prior to Rosh Hashanah, nearly 200 public school students have transferred to Yeshivas.

Rabbi Eli Mansour was then called to the stage and spoke about the talmidimof Rabbi Akiva. What was their downfall? “The students of Rabbi Akiva were matmidim,” Rabbi Mansour explained. “They were tzadikim, but they weren’t temimim.” His message to the supporters of Chazaq was, “You are involved in something that will bring life. Spread the wealth. This is our calling. There’s no room for selfishness.”

After a short yet meaningful musical interlude, Charlie Harary spoke about heroism. One of our nation’s greatest heroes, he pointed out, is Rabbi Akiva. “He was a shepherd who did not even know the aleph betuntil he was 40 years old. But he became the leader of the generation and a military giant who was the genius behind the Bar Kochba revolt.” Soon, though, things started to unravel: The revolt ended unsuccessfully, the students started to die and all seemed lost.

“A reasonable man would just pack up,” Harary observed, “but not Rabbi Akiva. He was a hero. He started all over again. He was over 100 years old but he began anew with five students. These five eventually established the Torah she’be’al peh.”

The highlight of the evening was the appearance of Harav Yitzchok Dovid Grossman, Rov of Migdal Ha’emek in Eretz Yisrael. He’s known for galvanizing a community and bringing countless Jewish souls to teshuva. “We started with 18 boys,” he said. “Now we are educating over 6,000 children!”

His remarks were a poignant conclusion to an incredible evening. For more information about Chazaq’s many inspirational programs, visit Chazaq.orgor call 917-617-3636.